Notes from Phoenix/Scottsdale

I've just spent four days in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area visiting with friends, eating in wonderful restaurants, and doing a bit of shopping and touring. I spent an entire day at the Musical Instrument Museum, a unique, educational, and delightful museum.

I traveled on Halloween and, as always, the Southwest Airlines gates in Oakland were wildly decorated. At 5 a.m., this is what greeted me as I descended, blurry-eyed, to my gate. It certainly jolted me awake.


I've spent many a Halloween with Lois and Jim in Phoenix and it has become something of a tradition for us.

Lois and I started our visit with a pilgrimage to Last Chance, the legendary Nordstrom discount store for it's returned, overstocked, and sometimes damaged items. After a solid three hours of foraging through Last Chance (see the "fruits" of our shopping at the beginning of this blog), we were famished.

We chose Pizzeria Bianco in the nearby Town and Country shopping center for our lunch. This location is the newest of James Beard Award-winning Chef Chris Bianco's Phoenix restaurants. Chef Bianco got his start in 1988, in the back corner of a neighborhood grocery store. He is known for being a driving force in the slow food and artisinal pizza fronts.  I've just recently heard of the Bianco restaurants and Lois knew of them, but has stayed away because of waits of as long at two hours at his restaurants.  For our late lunch on a Thursday afternoon, there was no wait; we were seated immediately.

Our choice was the "Wiseguy" pizza, made with Wood-Roasted Onion, Smoked Mozzarella, Fennel, and Sausage.  I liked the combination of toppings and the thin, crispy crust. Lois, had assumed that the pizza would have tomato sauce on it and was a bit disappointed.  Our consensus on Pizzeria Bianco is that we enjoyed and appreciated the fresh and creative combination of ingredients and the friendly service, but, if we had had to wait two hours to get a table, we would have gone to another of the many excellent pizzerias in the area.

That night for dinner, we headed to Downtown Scottsdale to Barrio Queen, another restaurant whose chef has a large following. Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza's popularity came from her several Scottsdale cafés. Barrio Queen is the first of her full-service restaurants. Her authentic Mexican dishes are made with unique combinations of market-fresh ingredients.

On Halloween night, the restaurant was packed.

The extensive menu features a large selection of tacos and small plates, Chef Silvana's versions of Mexican "Street Food,"  as well as a tempting variety of entrees.

Lois made her meal of six different tacos. Her selections included Carnitas (slow cooked pork); Cochinita Pibil (marinated pork); Suadero Azteca (brisket); Carne Asada (marinated beef), Huitlacoche y Champinon (grilled beef with huitlachoce ((a fungus that grows on corn; considered a delicacy like a truffle)) and mushrooms); Barrio Pollo (chicken); and Camaron (beer-battered shrimp). Each taco was unique, with a complexity of seasonings.

Jim chose the Enchiladas Suizas, Chef Silvano's take on a traditional dish..the chicken was rubbed with spices and the toppings included a spicy serrano tomatillo sauce.

I had the Cochinita Pibil, one of Chef Silvano's signature dishes. It is pork, marinated in sour orange and achiote paste, wrapped in a banana leaf and slow cooked all night long. This dish is topped with pickled onions and pico de gallo. It is served with chipotle mashed potatoes and calacacitas (squash, corn, and peppers).

We were all happy with our meals and Lois and Jim think Barrio Queen's Margaritas, which we all drank, are the best anywhere. Prices are very reasonable with about all entrées priced under $20. The tacos are $3.50 each or 3 for $10.

Other dining adventures included a lunch with Hallie, my cooking teacher from Provence. Hallie suggested Phoenix City Grille as a good place to linger and visit, while enjoying tasty food.

Hallie had the Grilled Salmon Skewer. Lois and I had Sandwiches; Crispy Eggplant for me and the Spiced Chicken Breast for Lois.  

We met friends Marcia and Charlie for Sunday brunch at Timo, another of Hallie's recommendations. None of us was familiar with Timo, but we all agree that it is so good and so pleasant, we can't wait to return. The restaurant has a beautiful outdoor patio as well as an indoor dining room. We ate indoors but felt like we were outdoors on this warm Sunday because the garage door front windows were rolled up and we had full exposure to the outdoors.  I suspect that Timo's building was once a gas station.

Several of us had the 3 Eggs on Toast. Other choices included the Crab Cake Benedict and a Green Salad with fresh berries, pecans, pancetta, and feta cheese. 

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Our day at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) was memorable. The MIM is the world's only global musical instrument museum.  Other such museums, including those in France and Belgium, only include musical instruments of their countries.

The MIM was founded by Robert J. Ulrich, former CEO of Target Corporation, a collector of African art and museum enthusiast. He was inspired to create the Phoenix MIM after a visit to the Musical Instruments Museum in Brussels, Belgium.

Having been to some of the European musical instruments museums, I can say that the experience of this MIM far exceeds anything I've experienced. Being a new museum, it takes advantage of the latest technology and combines displays of instruments from about 200 countries with wireless audio that streams music and sounds of instruments along with videos of the instruments being played in their context in their countries.

The museum is so extensive that, in a full day, Lois and I were only able to cover the Africa and Middle East and Asia and Oceania galleries. We never got to the Europe, Latin America, or United States/Canada galleries. We also didn't have time for the Mechanical Music Gallery.

These photos are from the galleries we visited.

After a lovely lunch in their restaurant, Café Allegro, whose menu features local ingredients in creative preparations,

we spent the rest of the afternoon at the Special Exhibition, "Women Who Rock," an exhibit created by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.  

It includes the costumes, instruments, and artifacts of more than 70 women from the Foremothers of Rock, such as Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, and Ma Rainey, up to the rockers of the New Millennium, including Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Janelle Monae.

"Women Who Rock" will be at the MIM through April 20, 2014. Here are some highlights of the original outfits of some of the women. What I can't include here is the sound track that fills the gallery with music by the artists featured.

Cher

The Supremes

Tina Turner

Admission to the MIM is $18 for all over age 19. "Women Who Rock" costs an extra $7 with museum admission and $10 for this exhibit only. The price is definitely worth the experience; just allow a day for your visit.

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A final note on Sky Harbor Airport: The Southwest Terminal, Terminal 4, is the nicest airport terminal that I've been in, and it gets more interesting each time I am here.

It's central pre-security screening area has restaurants, shops, and art exhibits that are local to the area. I usually buy my dinner at the Paradise Bakery in this area, but lately have noticed that at the post-security gates in Terminal 4, there are even more tempting restaurants. My favorites at Gate D, include La Grande Orange and Barrio Café (the Barrio Queen restaurant group). Humble Pie, Pei Wei, and Olive & Ivy are just some of the local restaurants at Gate A. Look for La Madeleine, Focaccia Florentina, El Bravo, and Cowboy Ciao at Gate B. And, there's a second Paradise Bakery at Gate C.

A Quick Arizona Visit

Right after Thanksgiving, I headed to Phoenix to spend a few days with Lois and Jim. Lois and I became friends about 15 years ago, having "met" through a friend's online blog. Fifteen years ago blogs hadn't really been invented, so to speak, but this friend...Frank...had a web site in the early days of the Internet, that he updated every week with the URLs of interesting web sites he'd discovered.

Lois and Jim are not in Phoenix all that often, so when they are there, I always try to visit.

My three-day visit was packed with what I like to do most: visit with friends, shop, and eat in restaurants.

These are highlights and good restaurant tips, should your winter travels be taking you to the Phoenix area.

It was Lois who introduced me to Last Chance, the one of its kind store in Phoenix where returns, overstocks, and other miscellany from all Nordstrom stores go to be sold at extraordinarily low prices.



She and I always spend the first and last days of my visit at Last Chance, getting there as close to opening as we can, and staying until we are either exhausted or satisfied that we have done an adequate search for clothing and other "treasures" that we can't live without. If we are still there at lunchtime, we walk over to Miracle Mile Deli in the same shopping center and share one of their New York Deli-style sandwiches.

Earlier this year, Lois tipped me off to Renegade Canteen, one of Scottsdale's newer restaurants. I tried it last January with friends Silky and David and we all loved it. Recently, Jim took his sister and family there and they all enjoyed it. So, this visit, it was time to return to Renegade with Lois and Jim and we, once again, had a delicious and interesting dinner.

Lois ordered the Dr. Pepper Beef Short Ribs which are served with Chile Cheese Grits.



Jim chose the Pot Roast which is served like a beef stew with all the vegetables that cook with it.



And, I opted for the spicy Caesar Salad followed by the Green Chile Pork Stew which Renegade considers to be another starter, or light entrée. The stew was a more than generous main course.





For dessert, to have a little something sweet, we shared the Crème Brulée which is beautifully garnished with frozen blueberries and almond brittle...a delicious ending to a special dinner.



I highly recommend Renegade Canteen for its varied menu of American Western fare and comfort food classics at reasonable prices. They are open nightly for dinner and weekdays for lunch and serve Sunday brunch. They have a nice kid's menu (priced $4 – $6) and offer many menu dishes at reduced prices on their Happy Hour menu each evening in the bar seating area.

Over the years I've gotten to know many of Lois and Jim's friends who live year 'round in Arizona. On my second night, we dined at The Mission in Old Scottsdale with Pat and Gary.



Pat and Gary are fabulous cooks who love good food and who keep up on the local restaurants in between preparing their amazing meals at home. We went to The Mission on their recommendation and, as always, were not disappointed. The food is "Modern Latin" which is a total departure from chef Matt Carter's classic French dishes at his other excellent Scottsdale restaurant, Zinc Bistro.





We sat outside on the back enclosed patio which has the feel and decor of a courtyard in an old Spanish mission.

We started with the made-tableside Guacamole which was delicious...the addition of crunchy pumpkin seeds added that little something special.




We also shared an enormous order of the Mission Fries, as mix to sweet potato fries and white potato fries. The Fries are served with lime slices and two tangy dipping sauces.



We all ordered tacos which were beautifully presented on a rectangular serving dishes and tasted as good as they looked.

I chose the Vegetable Tacos which on this evening were made with corn, black beans, flavorful spices, and cotija cheese.



Other taco filling choices are Mahi Mahi, Skirt Steak, Pork Shoulder, and Chicken.

This was a perfect light meal for all of us, but another time, I plan to have less of the shared side dishes and perhaps try some of the larger dishes such as the Swordfish Veracruz, the Green Chile Duck Confit, or the Half Roasted Chicken (which is served with the Mission Fries.) I'm told that the Street Corn is a "must" as a side dish; its grilled on a skewer and seasons with butter, chile paprika, and cotija cheese.

The Mission is open every day for lunch and dinner and offers a special Afternoon Menu and Weekend Brunch. I'm looking forward to a return visit soon.

On another day, I got together with Shiela, Anita, and Sam for lunch at Wally's American Pub N' Grille in Gainey Ranch.



Shiela lives in Scottsdale, Anita and Sam, her daughter and grandson, respectively, live on the East Coast and were visiting for Thanksgiving. Wally's was a good place for us to visit.



It was warm enough to sit outside on their patio which was still in view of the TVs over the bar inside so Sam could keep up with the day's football games.

Wally's menu features a large selection of salads, sandwiches, burgers, Mac & Cheese, a daily Blue Plate Special, and typical pub fare. Our choices included the Havana Cuban Panini, the Fresh Fruit and Berry Salad, a Burger, and Fish and Chips.

Lois, who usually eats little for lunch, willingly joins me, who always eats lunch, for lunch when we are together. She and Jim introduced me to a lovely bakery café called Wildflower Bread Company.
Wildflower bakes its own breads, and serves breakfast, lunch and casual dinners every day. Order at the counter and your food is brought to you. A bowl of soup (each day different soups are features) is priced under $5 and most sandwiches, salads, and pastas are priced under $8. The Scottsdale Seville Wildflower location where we ate has seating indoors and on an outdoor patio.

Jim and I shared the Grilled Turkey Pastrami...a perfect light lunch for us.



Wildflower has close to a dozen locations in Arizona, most in the Greater Phoenix area.

HISTORY FOR IBM; SOMETHING NEW FOR MICROSOFT

What many people do not know about me is that I had a computer life long before I became an Apple Computer person. While my passion for all things Apple has been going on for at least 25 years, mainly because I think Apple is the most creative and innovative computer and computer-related things company that currently exists.

But this does not mean that my heart cannot go pitter-pat for other computers and technology...and so it did this week when I attended an event at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View to honor the 50th anniversary of the IBM 1401. The 1401 was announced in 1959, a few years before I went to work for IBM as a Systems Engineer. The 1401 was my first computer and it has always held a special place in my heart.

The 1401 was one of IBM's earliest transistorized computers and by the mid 1960s, when I was supporting its users and programming it in machine language and Assembly language, half of all the computers in use by businesses and institutions around the world were 1401s or members of its family.

The Computer History Museum now has two operational 1401 systems that have been restored to working order by a team of loyal volunteers who also are passionate about the 1401.



This week's event featured a panel of IBMers who developed the 1401 between 1957 and 1960. The auditorium at the museum was packed to overflowing with an impressive mix of we "old timers" and a lot of younger Silicon Valley techies for whom the 1401 is only a legend. I have been on Cloud Nine over this evening ever since.


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Fast forwarding to computing today, a few weeks ago, when I was in Scottsdale, Arizona, I visited the first-ever Microsoft retail store in the Fashion Square shopping center. A week later, Microsoft opened its second store in Mission Viejo, California in The Shops at Mission Viejo shopping center.




The Microsoft store looks very very much like an Apple retail store, right down to it's version of Apple's Genius Bar, the Answer Bar, its tee-shirt clad staff, and the company logo over the entrance.

What I find interesting about the Microsoft store is that, while Microsoft does not manufacture computers, the store displays an extensive variety of computers that use the Windows operating system. These computers are for sale at the store and, presumably, it is the Answer Bar where Windows users will go to get their Windows technical questions/problems solved.

This is a picture of the Answer Bar:



My friend Lois, who uses Windows computers, liked that the store gave her a chance to see many Windows computers all in one place. The netbooks were all together, as were the laptops and desktops. The store offers a venue in which to try and compare a wide selection of computers, something that can't be done conveniently, if at all, by running around to Best Buy and other big box stores that sell Windows computers.



I enjoyed playing with the Microsoft Touch Screen-Table. We even sat down and played a game of checkers on it. (I won, only because Lois got tired of playing!)